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THE HOLY VOICE. 





THE HOLY VOICE. 



DISCOURSE, 



DELIVERED BEFORE 



THE SOCIETY OF THE REV. DAVID DAMON, 

IN WEST CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



ON FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1841, 
THE DAY OF THE NATIONAL 



If * 



APPOINTED IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE DEATH. OF 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, 



PRESIDENT or THE UNITED STATES. 



By NORWOOD DAMON 



BOSTON: 

CHARLES C. LITTLE AND JAMES BROWN. 
1841. 






This Discourse is published at the request of a Friend of the Author. 



(To 



DISCOURSE. 



EXODUS XXXII. 13. 

IT IS NOT THE VOICE OF THEM THAT SHOUT FOR MASTERY, NEITHER 
IS IT THE VOICE OF THEM THAT CRY FOR BEING OVERCOME. 

From the period when the morning stars sang 
together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, 
innumerable voices have greeted the ears of men. 

The lovely voices of our children, that remind 
us of other and better days, ere the wicked began 
to trouble, ere we had eaten any forbidden fruit, 
ere the foul dregs of this world had tarnished our 
pristine purity ; when we were of such as is the 
kingdom of heaven. Those merry, silvery voices, 
thrill a rich, a sweet, a deep, a heavenly chord 
within. The honored voices of our parents, that 
remind us of our confiding affection when we knew 
not our right hands from our left, of the days when 
their natural force was not a whit abated or a 
single hair turned gray, when they were the 
vicegerents of God to us, the almoners of every 
good and perfect gift. The kind voices of our 
friends, that teach us that we are not on a desolate 



island, outcasts from sympathy, that teach us how 
pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. 
The piteous voices of distress. The voices of merry 
songsters, of the roaming winds, of battle, of mighty 
thunders, the voice of many waters, and ten thou- 
sand voices that are interesting to the sons of men. 

But I would speak rather of those inward voices, 
that crowd into the soul, that they may deliver their 
utterance, until they swell it almost to bursting, until 
it becomes restless as the tempestuous ocean. Such 
voices ofttimes speak to the soul of future good 
and urge it to action, urge it onward to the prize. 
Sometimes they speak with arguments strong and 
clear to the better judgment, the sober ultimate 
thought, point out specifically the palpable good. 
Sometimes they speak in vague visions, beautiful, 
enchanting, glorious, but indescribable thoughts. 
By some strange sympathy the soul is fired enam- 
ored with them — and rushes wildly on for progress. 
Is sanguine in the belief of inestimable future good, 
though it cannot exactly tell when, where, how or 
what. The oracle does not lift the curtain that con- 
ceals the future, but points with glowing and enrap- 
turing eloquence to the few scattered rays that have 
lingered behind the clear empyrean to illumine and 
fringe the borders of the veil. 

Sometimes these voices speak of evil, and the 
soul is filled with dark, boding, nervous, appre- 
hensions. Coming events cast none but gloomy 



shadows before. Hence soothsayers, augurers, 
seers. Hence dark-visaged astrologers, that have 
kept lone vigils in the silent night, watching the 
solitary planet of some great worm of the dust, as 
it arose in the darkened east, ascended to its zenith, 
and slowly scintillated down the western declivity 
until it was lost bene th the horizon, — and then 
delivered the augury that should prove the vision 
of a true prophet, or the chimera of a disordered 
imagination. Hence it is that — as poets will have it 
— the moon has often turned to blood, night be- 
come hideous, graves yawned and yielded up their 
dead, fiery warriors fought upon the clouds in ranks 
and squadrons and right form of war, the noise of 
battle hurded in the air, horses neighed, and dying 
men have groaned. I\Ien have ever felt intuitive 
premonitions of coming evil and good. These silent, 
indistinct and mosttime confused voices, are the 
great mainsprings of our Uves. They goad us on, 
they fill our souls with longings, expectations, appre- 
hensions of the future, until they rush out to shun 
the real or imaginary Scylla on the one hand, though 
they should fall into Charybdis on the other. And if 
haply we may escape them both to bask upon 
Italia's bridit and beauteous shore. These voices 
excited the mighty interest of the late election. 
Some spoke to the young, and their souls were 
kindled with enthusiastic fire, filled whh indefina- 
ble longings, ardors and hopes. Some addressed 



6 

the ambitious, and indistinct visions of place, power, 
victory, fame, gratified vanity and pride flitted 
athwart their imaginations. Some addressed the 
true patriot, and his heart burned and his bowels 
yearned for the salvation of his country. But one 
voice spoke to all. It has spoken from time imme- 
morial, and it always strikes with a peculiar melody 
upon our listening ears. Soul, soul, says the en- 
chanting voice, lay up for thyself much goods for 
many years, and by-and-by when thou hast enough, 
thou shalt take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 
This is the charmer that dictates to us too exclusive- 
ly in matters of religion, politics, patriotism, and 
every thing else. Other voices lifted themselves 
up in our great election, but this was the voice cry- 
ing in the wilderness, make ye the road to victory 
straight. The hungry cry for much goods, this was 
the effective engine. On this golden pivot turns 
the Presidency ; this is the hinge. He who will 
give us the most and best money shall wear the 
crown. Yet think not that I would altogether con- 
demn this voice ; when rightly heard it speaketh 
righteousness. He that provideth not for his own 
household has denied the faith, is worse than an in- 
fidel. For some time past many of our countrymen 
have found it difficult to do even that. Our times 
and affairs have been sadly out of joint. We could 
not, according to our custom, buy, sell, get gain. 
Business, speculations, were dead. What more 



dreadful calamity could befall this dear money-lov- 
ing people. Parties looked suspiciously upon each 
other for the cruses of these evils. Heaven only 
knows through what inciect and crooked paths 
they tried to hunt each other down. For twelve 
long troublous years the present dominant politics 
rested against the beam. But of late the balance 
turned — and bells were rung, processions marched, 
banners waved, orators declaimed, cannons roared, 
the people shouted, Harrison was our chief. This 
was the voice of them that shouted for the mastery. 
Well might it make the old hero's heart swell to 
see his country's banner flaunting in every breeze, 
in every village, on a thousand hills. To see proces- 
sions numerous as the sands on the sea shore or the 
stars in the heavens for multitude, marching over 
hills and winding through valleys, to meet the great 
congregation, that had come forth in gala-day attire. 
Well might he be proud when he heard them tell 
of his battle-grounds, his deeds of daring and of 
philanthropy in days of yore — when he heard their 
shoutings from the rising to the setting of the sun — 
and all this to honor him ! It must have seemed to 
him like some dream of eastern romance that he 
was thus suddenly and highly exalted. Almost 
must he have feared to ope his mouth, to utter 
speech, lest the people should shout — 'it is the voice 
of a god and not of a man,' — and the fate of a He- 
rod be his. Never was such excitement, such en- 



8 

thusiasm, such high expectations in this land be- 
fore ! 

Yet just as he had reached his high estate, he 
shook hands with his people, received their blessing 
and died. Yes, while the roar of cannon still 
echoed through his princely dwelling, while the 
shouts of the people still rent the air, while missives 
of congratulation were hourly arriving ; he lay silent 
and apart from his friends and people. He knew 
no more of the deeds that were doing under the 
sun, than the statues in the capitol. There was no 
more help in him. In the hour of triumph he left 
them and their works forever. Strange, sad, dis- 
appointment ! Mysterious providsnce of God ! 

Yet greater men than he have died. King David 
was the pride, the hope, the joy of all Judea. He 
had so long and so gloriously reigned that Hebrew 
eyes could hardly look upon another man as king. 
Jerusalem had grown up with him, and the sons of 
Israel would as soon have thought to arise in the 
morning and look in vain for their beloved city, or 
the place where it had been swallowed up, as to 
look up to the throne and not to see king David 
there.* Was it possible that he who had never 
quailed before any difficulties, should meet a king 
of terrors that was too powerful for him ? Was it 

*The Absalom rebellion is no argument against this. At that time 
the people were under a temporary hallucination. 



9 

possible that a man of such grasp of mind, such 
fixedness of purpose, such integrity of soul, with 
such a rare combination of gifts and acquirements, 
that fitted him to rule over Israel so much better 
than any other man, — was it possible that he should 
be taken from them ? Was it not too great a sacri- 
fice for earth to make 1 Could Israel survive the 
shock ? As well might the Ark of God, that had 
cheered them through all their wanderings decay, as 
their King David grow old and die. And yet when 
he found that his strength was abated, that his natural 
heat was gone ; he one day called his beloved Solo- 
mon to his bedside and said — "I go the way of all 
the earth." What words could have thrilled his 
son with a more sudden or fearful shock ! The 
dreadful certainty that after all, even king David the 
confidant of God, the man whose heart was perfect 
with him, must die, was forced in an instant upon 
his mind. The father, the king, the greatest, the 
best die ? overwhelming thought ! He never could 
realize it before ! Are we all then worms of the 
dust? I w^ould not then Uve always. I would not, 
Uke a poor insect, outlive my summer companions, 
and suffer alone in the dismal winter. I would 
gladly welcome my appointed time. For I know- 
that if the greatest and best are called to leave their 
exalted trusts, there must be more glorious honors 
in the life to come. The voice of God is better than 

the voice of those that shout for victory. 
2 



10 

Few of us to whom the inward voices are con- 
tinually speaking, listen as David did to the voice of 
true wisdom. We were thinking of better times, 
hearing of reviving business, rapid gains, the 
princely fortunes that should be ours. And when 
God spoke and our chieftain died, we hardly knew 
his voice. We had forgotten that our plans were 
not the most important in the universe. We had 
forgotten, that high as the heavens are above the 
earth, so are God's ways above our ways, and his 
thoughts above our thoughts. We had forgotten, 
that there is a truer v/ealth than earthly riches, a 
truer glory than to wear a kingly crown. 

David had a son who forgot all this ; did not, like 
Solomon, give ear to his father's instructions, but 
kept aloof, despised instruction, and listened to a 
lying voice. Ill-starred was the day when he first 
arrayed his unblemished person, and sat himself in 
the gateway of Jerusalem, that great thoroughfare 
of his father's empire, to steal the hearts, the honor, 
the patriotism of his people. Sweetly, kindly, did 
he smile upon and kiss them, as some have done 
since his day ; with well-feigned fervor, angel-like 
enthusiasm, he lifted up his voice and exclaimed, 
" O that I were made judge in the land, that every 
man which hath any suit or cause might come unto 
me, and I would do him justice !" It was his chief 
desire to be king ; that was what he called glory. 
He was made king, yet he did not sleep in the 



11 

sepulchre of the kings. Neither heaven or earth 
would be disgraced by the apostate's presence, or 
soothe his expiring agony. Nebuchadnezzar lis- 
tened to this same lying voice, and after he had 
built great Babylon, was driven from men to eat 
grass. His hair became like eagle's feathers, his 
nails like birds' claws. Belshazzar, his son, called 
for the golden vessels that had been stolen from 
Jerusalem, drank wine from them with his con- 
cubines, grew merry, praised the gods of silver, 
gold and brass, and on the self-same night was 
slain. Alexander the Great, conqueror of the world, 
wept to think how small his conquests, how soon 
his vast armies must be sleeping in the dust. Julius 
Caesar, chief builder of the great Roman empire, was 
assassinated and his empire dismembered. Charles, 
of Sweden, who made all Europe tremble, died 
of a random cannon-shot. Napoleon, the distribu- 
tor of bishoprics and crowns, before whom even the 
Pope of Rome trembled and shed tears, the maker 
of batUes, who left the bones of his soldiers to 
whiten in every valley, on every hill of Europe — 
died a mournfal exile, w'ithout the sympathies we 
love, with the curse of despair. 

All these listened to the voices of earthly pas- 
sions, all had riches and honors. But where is 
their honor now ? Where is the honor of all the 
great departed 1 Of sages, orators, and poets ? A 
few scattered laurels remain, but the wTeaths are 



12 

broken. Plato, Cicero, Shakspeare, and a few 
others, are remembered ; but the time must come, 
when their names and fame shall sleep in the same 
dead oblivious sea with the eternity that has past. 
Why then are we surprised that our chief is gone 1 
There is truly something else beside this mortal 
scene. 

O my countrymen, the honors of this world are 
indeed very trifling. Who would wish to be presi- 
dent of a few ants on a mole-hill ? Who would 
crave the tiny honors of a race whose feet are fas- 
tened to this grovelling earth ! Whose pigmy shouts, 
the least accident, a breath of air, may forever hush! 
Who would be king of insects, and bask out in 
strutting pride a summer's day ? Who would be 
governor of Lilliput, fighting out the Bigendian 
Controversy ? And yet we almost think that Har- 
rison was robbed of honor because he was taken 
to heaven before his presidential term had expired ! 
Think you that he would resign the celestial crown, 
which I trust he wears, for the proudest empire on 
earth ? He did not live to say — "I stay too long, 
ye are aweary of me ;" but when his honors were 
new-born and fresh, he left them like a robe pon- 
tifical, all still unsullied by the sea of politics, that 
turbid flood that casts up mud and mire. He left 
them for high honors in the courts above. 

It is well for us that the voice of God hath 
spoken. It may teach us to know what real honors 



13 

are, and how to live that we may attain them. We 
have suffered the foolish wicked voices of this earth 
to cajole our souls too long. Not half so innocently 
have we been employed as the little child who is 
pleased with a rattle and tickled with a straw. We 
have neglected the best interests of our souls, and 
have been degrading, contracting, killing them, with 
earthly trifles. If we are apt at chicanery, cun- 
ning, successful as demagogues, if ourselves and 
our party are but in office, it matters not whom we 
slander and abuse. These are small things com- 
pared with our reward which is — glory ! Glory, 
did I say ? Vanity, thin air, sounding brass, a tinkling 
cymbal ! Where is there true glory but in the good 
deeds, and good acquirements of eternal life ? For 
this our voices should be attuned like rich harp- 
strings ; for this, our souls should gush out with 
rivers of insatiate desire. 

Earthly honor ! " Can it set a leg, or an arm, or 
take away the grief of a wound," or save a soul 
from death ? Where is the Behemoth and Levia- 
than ? The mastodon and mammoth 1 Where 
are they who inhabited the vast cities, erected 
the monuments, that lie buried in the west? Where 
are they who traversed those immense forests, that 
now stand petrified below the surface of the earth ? 
Well might the wise king, to whom I have referred, 
exclaim, " Lord what is man that thou art mindful 
of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him." 



14 

When king David said to his son, " I go the way 
of all the earth," he added, "be thou strong there- 
fore and show thyself a man." Can you drink in, 
can your souls digest, the worlds of wisdom in this 
litde passage 1 I confess mine cannot. " Be thou 
strong" — above temptation, above the flatteries of 
worldly sycophants, strong in faith, in purposes of 
true manhood, in the service of God. Strong in 
effort, strong in spirit, within thyself a host. Not 
merely valiant in fight young Solomon, this is but a 
quota of strength. " Show thyself a man." — A being 
for eternity, for immortal honors. Upright in busi- 
ness. A true patriot. Above all party meanness or 
hate. Not to be allured by any bribe. A real neigh- 
bor. A true philanthropist, loving his whole race. A 
being that will do no known wrong. One pure in 
heart, communing with God. A faithful servant and 
son of God. Such is man. It is no holy-day amuse- 
ment to make oneself a man. Many a sleek, 
round, well-fed, and well-favored biped, has taxed 
the ingenuity of his tailor to the utmost for the 
most fashionable array of purple and fine linen — 
yet could not make himself a man. A man ! he is 
but little lower than the angels that minister around 
the eternal throne ! 

When David gave this charge to Solomon he 
said all that was necessary in the premises; all 
that could be said to the king elect of Israel. Well 
was it for him that he barkened unto the voice of 



15 

his father. Well will it be for our chief rulers, 
from this time forth forever, if they hearken to the 
dying words of Harrison, and abide by the princi- 
ples of our constitution. 

My countrymen the holy voice of God hath 
spoken. It hath called our chief ruler, ere long it 
will call us. Let us no more then hear the exulting 
voices of those that shout for victory, or the angry 
murmurs of the defeated. Let the din of our party 
broils be hushed, our petty, worldly interests be 
still. Let us no longer think ourselves infallible, 
and abuse each other because we must differ in po- 
litical opinions. Let us remember that we are frail, 
and know nothing. Let us be humble that we may 
find favor in the sight of God. 

Let us remember what we have forgotten too 
long, that we are brothers. Of the same blood ; Jew 
and Gentile, Federalist and Republican. Is there 
any honor, any profit, any wisdom, in bitter party 
quarrels ? In perpetual hatred of each other, be- 
cause we cannot vote ahke, read with each other's 
eyes, and worship by each other's creed ? If any 
one tells you so, it is the voice of a selfish, con- 
ceited, fiendish, lying ambition ; it is not the voice 
of wisdom or of God. 

Whigs and Democrats, strange it may sound to 
your ears, but upon high authority a new com- 
mandment give I unto you : That ye love one 
another. We come to bury Harrison, let us bury 



16 

party hatred too. Let us no longer set our hearts 
exclusively upon riches, honors, victory, power, 
the gratification of our stubborn wills, and the prarse 
of kindred dust. Let us no longer degrade the 
invaluable powers that God has given us, by using 
them solely for the trifling things of time and sense, 
but let us put them to the right use, use them no- 
bly for God and eternity. Is the earthy better 
than the heavenly? Let us arise, gird on our 
strength, and show that we are men. Then shall 
we be heirs of true riches and honors. Eye hath 
not seen them, ear hath not heard them, nor the 
heart of man conceived them yet. This cannot be. 
But we soon shall see, and hear, and know. 

In that day when God's voice shall call our spirits 
home, clothed in incorruptible, living beauty, we 
shall sit upon our heavenly throne^ and wear im- 
mortal crowns. With joy unspeakable and full of 
glory, we shall join in the society of priests and 
prophets, saints and martyrs, angels and the spirits 
of just men made perfect; no more shall w^e hear 
the cry of the victors, or the vanquished, but the 
morning stars shall again sing together, and all the 
sons of God shall shout for joy. 



S9 



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